OpenOffice 3.0 Beta Released

By Greg McNevin

May 13, 2008: OpenOffice 3.0 has goes to public beta, with new support for Office 2007 and 2008 files as well as the ability to run natively on Mac.

While not recommended for production use just yet, the new version includes a host of new features, including a new “Start Centre”, updated visual styling and a swathe of improvements to its core Writer, Calc, Impress draw and Chart applications.

The popular open source productivity suite also boasts new support for version 1.2 of OpenDocument Format and the ability to open Microsoft’s Office 2007 and 2008 for Mac files.

This new focus on Mac compatibility is especially important for version 3.0, as it is also dropping the requirement for X11, enabling it to run natively on OS X and adopt the Aqua GUI for a more consistent look and feel on the system.

The full release is currently set for mid-September, however, the openoffice.org team says that this date is not fixed, just an estimation, leaving open the possibility of the release being delayed.

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